Excavation Fatality Results in OSHA Citation

Sept. 29, 2000
OSHA cited Waters Construction Co., of Bridgeport, Conn.,\r\nfor safety\r\nviolations and proposed $62,300 in fines against the company.

OSHA has completed an inspection prompted by the death of a worker at a construction site on Interstate 95 in Orange, Conn.

The agency cited Waters Construction Co., of Bridgeport, Conn., the contractor which employed the deceased worker, for safety violations and proposed $62,300 in fines against the company.

On May 3, 2000, employees of Waters Construction were working inside an excavation when an Akerman excavator slid into the excavation, striking two workers, fatally injuring one of them.

According to Clifford S. Weston, OSHA area director in Bridgeport, Conn., the alleged violations chiefly concern the contractor''s failure to follow basic excavation safety requirements.

Weston explained that the sides of the 5 to 10 foot deep excavation in which the employees were working, lacked cave-in protection and that the blade of the Akerman excavator was set too close to the edge of the excavation, a location from where the machine could, and did, fall into an unprotected hole.

In addition, the location at which the employees were working lacked a ladder or other safe means of exiting and entering the excavation.

"There was nothing to prevent the sides of the excavation from caving in on employees while they worked inside," said Weston. "This hazard was exacerbated by the placement of the excavator and piles of excavated spoils close to the edge. These two factors left the workers exposed to the twin hazards of being buried in a collapse and having the equipment and excavated spoils fall on top of them.

Weston emphasized that OSHA standards mandate that excavations 5 feet or more in depth be protected against collapse.

A variety of safeguards, ranging from sloping the sides at a shallow angle to shoring the sidewalls, among others, can be used, but an effective form of cave-in protection must be in place before workers enter the excavation, according to OSHA.

In addition, equipment, materials and excavated soil must be stored at least 2 feet back from the edge of the excavation both to avoid their weakening the sides and to prevent their rolling or falling into the excavation.

"There''s nothing unusual or complex about these safety requirements nor is there any acceptable reason for an employer''s failure to satisfy them," said Weston. "Simply put, had these safeguards been in place and in use, this accident would not have happened."

Waters Construction employs 75 workers, 14 of whom were working at the job site at the time of the accident.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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